Rose Giver

i'm behind on updates again...

…what else is new? Well, a ton! This entry will probably be a little all over the place. Sorry.

It starts with… my iTunes! Well, as some of you may know, my computer went all nuts. And by nuts, I mean, I had to reinstall everything and lost some stuff on my computer. I had some stuff backed up (photos and resumes), but I lost some of my portfolio and ALL OF MY MUSIC— thousands upon thousands of songs. So! I’m starting my music library with a clean slate. Yes, this sucks and will take me days upon days to rebuild it from scratch, but it has given me an opportunity to clean up things and revisit my music. Figure out what’s really important to me versus what I just had for the sake of it.

In the meantime I have discovered two things. 1. I have a favorite genre! I’ve never had a favorite genre before because I love it all! But I’ve decided that pop/country blends are by far the best music to listen to when you’re doing anything! My top picks at the moment are Tyler Hilton, Michelle Branch and of course Taylor Swift. If you have any other suggestions, please message me!

2. I love Christmas music! I’m always so resentful of radio stations that turn to Christmas-only music after HALLOWEEN and songs playing everywhere I go that I forgot how much I enjoy the ones I pick out myself: Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, Charlotte Church, Michael Buble, etc. So after a long Saturday afternoon, I have a hearty selection to listen to daily and play for my family when I go home. Speaking of which…

I get to go home soon! My magnanimous boss Carlos has been wonderful about the holidays and going home. Not only did he give me an entire week off for Christmas (a huge no-no in general regarding interns who are nearly always supposed to be screwed over with schedules), but he also gave me the 31st and 1st off, so I can celebrate New Year’s Eve in any city I want! I can stay here or go to Columbia or Kansas City, so I’m figuring that stuff out at the moment.

So for my week off, I’ve planned a ton (as usual)! This Friday, after I get off work, I go straight to Columbia to see several friends and celebrate a friend’s 21st birthday and Juana’s graduation!

Then on Sunday, (probably exhausted) I’ll head home to Overland Park to spend the week with family (both real and fake). And hopefully my nephews! While we’re not usually very big on holidays at my house, this year should be pretty great. I’m sure my mom will have the house beautifully decorated as always. My dad is taking my sister and I to see The Nutcracker on Tuesday, which is particularly cool since I’ve never been to a ballet before. And we should be getting the whole family together on Christmas Eve.

Oh, and throw my other two fake families in the mix (The Pent) and the other group that has no name, hahaha. A full Pent reunion will take place for the first time in a year, and I have an annual holiday dinner planned with the other group. I’m pretty psyched.

Uh, what else? I’m sure there’s more. Work and stuff here! Last week I trained one of the new hires. He’s 40-or-so and only had experience in online stuff, so I taught him the design side of things. We covered everything from the very basics (12 points to 1 pica) to zoning and the Post-Dispatch’s style rules. I think it went well, although I think it will take him longer to pick up on things than it took me.

I also get to design A&E again this week, which I love because entertainment is where I certainly put my heart. Goodness knows I’ve watched a fair number of movies in the last few weeks. So that should be a fun way to get ready for my vacation.

Ooh, other stuff! I went to a fantastic Italian restaurant in Kirkwood with my friend Jean. On a recommendation from a friend, we went to Massa’s, and not only was the food incredibly good, but the decor was gorgeous and set up for the holidays. And the portions were huge, so I got 3 meals out of the deal. Haha.

Also on Friday night went to a bar on Market Street with my WashU girls. We ended up dancing until 2 a.m., which is so fun because I don’t do that a lot with my Columbia kids. Oh, that and some drunk guy said I looked like a Barbie. I chose to take that as a compliment, even though I’m not sure what he meant by it exactly.

Jeez, this is getting long. Um, I went shopping, intending only to buy a new pair of gym shoes since I’ve thrashed the ones I have pretty badly. Well, I also ended up finding a gorgeous red satin dress and a couple of 2010 spring cardigans on sale for 50% off. So pretty. (I know, shopaholic. Ironically, I HATE the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic, which I watched today.) Oh, I also ordered Creative Suite 4 (for my design programs that got lost during laptop issues). Although that purchase was definitely a necessity.

Alright, I’m going to leave this here for now. Everyone is stressing about finals, so I wish them all luck. And see everyone soon!

Love.

Ghana!

So, I’ve decided!

I’ve researched every volunteering program from here to Timbuktu (haha, get it?) and I’ve settled on Projects Abroad, which I have probably mentioned before in passing. Assuming nothing major changes between now and next October, I intend to work on building projects in Ghana for a six-month period.

I really debated between orphanage work, which was my initial thought, and building projects, but I settled on the latter because this whole experience is about doing something different and out of my comfort zone! I think it will be invigorating (and incredibly exhausting) to work with my hands all day. I love kids, but I’ve worked with them a lot in the past, and I’ll hopefully deal with my own in the future, so this is something new.

I’m still debating a few details. For example, they have a program in Kwamoso (an hour north of Accra) or a small village near Cape Coast. I think Kawmoso might offer more in terms of things to explore in a city, but after Sydney, London, St. Louis, and city after city, the idea of a rural life sounds nice.

Thankfully, I have plenty of time to make that decision (and change my mind if necessary) as well as prepare in other ways. For one, I want to learn about the area’s geography and history. And even though English is the official language of Ghana, I’d like to be prepared for other languages.  For example, I’ve already learned that “obruni” means “white person” or “foreigner” in the local language.

I will have weekends off and a couple of full weeks off since I’m doing such a long stint. And I want to travel with other volunteers since I’d rather not travel alone as a white female tourist, even if most areas are safe. So I intend to research trips that other volunteers have taken in the past and what areas are fairly accessible to me. I’d also love to do some hiking or other exploring because I have been reading way too many adventure magazines at the gym recently. I also want to make sure I’m physically prepared for any trips like that and the daily labor involved in my volunteering.

My biggest concern at the moment is a social life (partially because that has been such a tough thing this semester in St. Louis). Six months is a long time to be on your own—especially in a completely new environment. But I will be living with a host family as well as other volunteers, the majority of which are 18-24 years old, so I think it will be okay.

Oh, in addition, I’ve started an email correspondence with Jessica, a girl who volunteered in Ghana for 3 months this past summer. I’m making a list of a thousand questions that she’ll never have time to answer fully, but just talking to someone will make me feel a little less nervous later on. Although at the moment, excitement is definitely the only thing I’m feeling.

Story of my life.

rkeck:

I need write like 5 pages tonight but I’ve been focusing on the design of the paper instead of the content. This could be bad.

Guess that’s why I went into design? Haha

Quotables

In addition to being one of the best-designed magazines, REAL SIMPLE is also fantastically quotable. A few of my faves:

“Grief can’t be shared. Everyone carries it alone.”

“We make choices based on who we are, not what we know.”

Some traits change over time, but “mean streaks tend not to disappear.”

“You wouldn’t wear pink hot pants and pretend they’re flattering. Don’t pretend you don’t need help.”

“Never give in. Never give in. Never give in.” (Not applicable in all situations, but damn essential in some cases.)

And one of my own: “Winning is easy. Learning to lose gracefully is damn hard. But there’s no question as to which makes you a stronger person at the end of the day.”

Love.

Life's highlights and lowlights: silver linings light the world

“And I find peace when I’m confused / I find hope when I’m let down / Not in me but in You”  —Switchfoot

My extension at the Post-Dispatch has finally been made official. I will be staying in St. Louis until Jan. 15 before returning to school. I still haven’t been accepted back into MU yet, but I have secured a part-time job as a copy desk teaching assistant at the Missourian.

I will be off from work for a full week from Dec. 20 - Dec. 26 in order to spend some time in Overland Park with my family, especially since it will be difficult to see my nephews on Thanksgiving.

Following a stressful and emotionally draining situation, I no longer have housing for the spring, but I’m currently deciding which of my now numerous options is the best fit for my final semester.

I have tomorrow off from work, and I intend to spend the entire day vegging out on my couch and watching romantic comedies. (I might also consider cleaning my apartment, which has deteriorated drastically recently.)

I somehow messed up my computer so badly that I cannot uninstall or install iTunes, which is no longer functioning, and I’m hoping that one of my wonderful friends will have tips on how to fix it because my life without music is downright boring.

I’ve learned from a good friend of mine that if someone doesn’t like you, you might just be living your life right.

Oh, and since I probably won’t be updating this blog for a few days, Happy Thanksgiving. I am a pain in the butt, and I am so damn grateful for the phenomenal family and friends that support me even when I’m probably a huge downer and having trouble seeing that silver lining.

Love.

Taking things for granted

It’s Thanksgiving. Time to give thanks? Well, that hasn’t been a particularly important part of the holiday in a while. Turkey and pie long ago became the main event, but I’ve thankfully had a few reminders recently of what I often take for granted.

So while I snack on some amazing pumpkin cake and enjoy some downtime at work, I’ll give thanks.

There are dozens of things I take for granted every day: everything from a supportive family, phenomenal friends and a paying job to the smaller stuff like good radio stations (I miss KC stations!) and my iPod (seriously, take it away from me and see how quickly I flip out). But there are two things to be thankful for that I have never thought about before that recently became apparent to me.

1. A good apology. It doesn’t happen often that someone truly hurts me to the core. Yeah, as my mother says, I am often up and down, but really getting hurt doesn’t happen too often. (Yet another thing I’m thankful for.) And honestly, I’ve been toughing out the little stuff for so long that I had forgotten how freeing it is to hear and accept an apology. Thankfully a recent incident at work reminded me of this fact. I spent two days trying to forget something really hurtful and trying to make myself feel better, but it wasn’t until the guy apologized (even though I’d been trying to avoid him and that conversation) that the physical mass on my chest was gone.

2. A work husband/wife. Yeah, I’m referencing an episode of Grey’s Anatomy with this one, but hear me out. On the show, they talk about the person that is truly your partner in the bunker that is your work life. People outside of that world can sympathize and try to understand. But that one person does the same stuff you do, deals with the same people, and so on. When you vent to them, they just get it. I’ve had several of these over the years: Jewels, Amy, Steve… the list goes on. My most recent “work wife” is my friend Jen. She’s nearly a decade older than me and often feels more like a mentor than a real equal, but she has been the most supportive person over the last several weeks. She understands when one of the editors is driving me crazy. She brings me homecooked meals because she thinks it’s nuts that I don’t have a stove. She stands up for me even when I’m too stubborn to ask for help. And that is something few people in this world have attempted. (My parents have nearly perfected that particular maneuver.)

Yeah, I won’t go on and on with this one. Life is going well despite hiccups at work and at home. I’m definitely looking forward to going home for Thanksgiving and seeing my KC kids, but I’m also really looking forward to this Wednesday and Thursday, when I will be in Columbia celebrating the 4th annual TWAINsgiving. For those of you not in the know, Twainsgiving was when I first established my college family. The beginning of freshman year was hard and lonely at times, and several kids in my dorm wanted to celebrate before going home for the holiday. And we’ve kept it up ever since. I’m so grateful to count all of those people still among my friends, and every year it is a blast to get all of us together in one room again.

Oh, and don’t forget the New Moon premiere at midnight on Thursday in Columbia. You know I’m thankful for that too. :)

Love.

lyrics

Free Me, Joss Stone

Ain’t I got you on my back foot
And you know I got to feeling good
Cause there’s something deep inside of me
I got to be

And if you find it hard to follow me
If I loose you in my creative stream
Than you only got to raise your eyes
And see me fly

Don’t tell me that I won’t
I will
Don’t tell me that I’m not
I am
Don’t tell me that my master plan
Ain’t coming through

Don’t tell me that I won’t
I will
Don’t tell me how to think
I fell
Don’t tell me cause I know what’s real
What I can do

Something that you don’t see every day
A little girl who has found her way
In world that tries to take away
All of your dreams

I think there’s one thing I will say to you
That there is nothing that you can’t do
Cause it’s all about your attitude
Don’t let them get to you

Don’t tell me that I won’t
I will
Don’t tell me that I’m not
I am
Don’t tell me that my master plan
Ain’t coming through

Don’t tell me that I won’t
I will
Don’t tell me how to think
I fell
Don’t tell me cause I know what’s real
What I can do

And when we’re singing it out our voice
We can make that choice to be free

And when we’re singing it out our voice
We can make that choice to be free

Music, hey, I love it
Yeah, yes, I do
Music, now, now, now, what
I love it, yes, I do

Don’t tell me that I won’t
I will
Don’t tell me that I’m not
I am
Don’t tell me that my master plan
Ain’t coming through

Don’t tell me that I won’t
I will
Don’t tell me how to think
I fell
Don’t tell me cause I know what’s real
What I can do

Free me
Free me
Free me
Free me